Plum Health DPC mentioned by Crain's Detroit Business
Yesterday, Plum Health DPC was mentioned in Crain's Detroit Business. The article discussed the growth of Direct Primary Care in the State of Michigan and specifically Southeast Michigan.
Direct primary care is growing in the State and across the Nation because it provides a common-sense solution to several complicated healthcare problems. The full article is here, but this is an excerpt that pertains to the concept of Direct Primary Care:
"Direct primary care model grows in state
"Salta is one of several direct primary care physician companies in Southeast Michigan with more than 100 physicians in Michigan participating in similar models of care.
"Under direct primary care, physicians have an alternative to fee-for-service insurance billing by charging patients or companies a set fee per month for a range of primary care-type services.
"Physicians also typically give patients longer visits and allow them to contact them through emails or phone calls in off hours. Patients usually also have health insurance for non-covered services.
"Blanchard predicted that Salta projects will grow to 40 clinic offices and more than 160 physicians over the next 10 years in Southeast Michigan. The model primarily is directed at company contracts, although Blanchard said his office accepts single memberships for $209 per month.
"Last year, Forthright Health Management LLC, headed by Tom Valenti, began operations in Southeast Michigan with 59 primary care physicians in 15 practice locations. The network offers a hybrid direct primary care medicine program in which patients are guaranteed more time and access to their doctors than typical office visits.
"Another DPC practitioner is Plum Health DPC, an office managed by Paul Thomas, M.D., a private practice doctor who graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 2013.
"Blanchard said the critical eyes of direct primary care physicians can help drive down health care costs.
"'The majority of the cost drivers all happen outside of the primary care office — unnecessary ER and urgent care visits, hospitalizations, high cost diagnostic testing,' he said. 'We can affect all those high cost things through preventative diagnosis and enhanced care.'
"Salta's primary care model gives patients additional time with their doctor and encourages email and phone conversations after weekday hours and on weekends."
- Paul Thomas, MD
